Lockheed Martin jumps into hosted payload competition

Sep. 24, 2013 - 03:25PM
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Lockheed Martin has submitted its proposal for hosted payload solutions (HoPS), a major U.S. Air Force contract for launching government payloads on commercial spacecraft.

“We are certainly known for satellites, but we have a long history of developing and integrating hosted payloads onto spacecraft as well,” said Mark Valerio, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Military Space division, in a company press release.

“In fact, just since 2000, Lockheed Martin has delivered 84 payloads on 16 different types of satellites from multiple manufacturers. Three of these have been Government payloads integrated on commercial hosts where we solved the business and technical aspects of the integration challenge.”

HoPS is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for the rapid and flexible delivery of payloads into low-Earth, medium-Earth and geosynchronous orbits. The Government Payload Office will build payloads that will be lofted into orbit.